Etiquette 101

Etiquette 101

                               Etiquettes for ladies







Hartley (2011) in her book "the ladies book of etiquette and manual of politeness" said this about dress
"A lady is never so well dressed as when you cannot remember what she wears."


No truer remark than the above was ever made. Such an effect can only be produced where every part of the dress harmonizes entirely with the other parts, where each color or shade suits the wearer's style completely, and where there is perfect neatness in each detail. One glaring color, or conspicuous article, would entirely mar the beauty of such a dress. It is, unfortunately, too much the custom in America to wear any article, or shape in make, that is fashionable, without any regard to the style of the person purchasing goods. If it is the fashion it must be worn, though it may greatly exaggerate a slight personal defect, or conceal or mar what would otherwise be a beauty. It requires the exercise of some judgment to decide how far an individual may follow the dictates of fashion, in order to avoid the appearance of eccentricity, and yet wear what is peculiarly becoming to her own face or figure. Another fault of our fair countrywomen is their extravagance in dress. No better advice can be given to a young person than to dress always according to her circumstances. She will be more respected with a simple wardrobe, if it is known either that she is dependent upon her own exertions for support, or is saving a husband or father from unnecessary outlay, than if she wore the most costly fabrics, and by so doing incurred debt or burdened her relatives with heavy, unwarrantable expense. If neatness, consistency, and good taste, preside over the wardrobe of a lady, expensive fabrics will not be needed; for with the simplest materials, harmony of color, accurate fitting to the figure, and perfect neatness, she will always appear well dressed.

A woman's dress may look out if not well combined properly especially when it comes to colour,no matter how expensive the cloth is,it will still look cheap if not worn creatively.
                 
 General rules for dress etiquette








Neatness:Nice dresses should be hung up by a loop on the inside of the waistband, with the skirts turned inside out, and the body turned inside of the skirt.The bonnet should always rest upon a stand in the band-box, as the shape and trimming will both be injured by letting it lie either on the face, sides, or crown.Let the hair be always smooth and becomingly arranged, each article exquisitely clean, neat collar and sleeves, and tidy shoes and stockings, and the simplest dress will appear well, while a torn or soiled collar, rough hair, or untidy feet will entirely ruin the effect of the most costly and elaborate dress.In Africa, hair styles are in their thousands, it is advised to keep it simple to your look.

Adaptiveness:Let each dress worn by a lady be suitable to the occasion upon which she wears it. It will be awkward to wear a ball gown to a village meeting and the other way round.Let the occasion speak for you.

Comfort:Many ladies have to trace months of severe suffering to an improper disregard of comfort, in preparing their wardrobe, or in exposure after they are dressed.Make it a point of duty to protect your self properly when going out. Don't be deceived by the style and then forget to cover your body when it is cold a weather.

Economy:And by economy I do not mean mere cheapness. To buy a poor, flimsy fabric merely because the price is low, is extravagance, not economy; still worse if you buy articles because they are offered cheap, when you have no use for them. A good, strong material will be found cheapest in the end, though the actual expenditure of money may be larger at first.So please be called wise when in the market for the sake of longevity.

Fashion:Do not be too submissive to the dictates of fashion; at the same time avoid oddity or eccentricity in your dress.

Harmony:To appear well dressed without harmony, both in color and materials, is impossible. When arranging any dress, whether for home, street, or evening, be careful that each color harmonizes well with the rest, and let no one article, by its glaring costliness, make all the rest appear mean

Post a Comment

0 Comments